This invention relates in general to beds and in particular, to beds of the type having wheels so that the bed can be moved from one location to another. Most particularly, the invention relates to a system for mounting a wheel on a bed and a bed with the same.
Articulated beds are well known. Such beds are generally comprised of a sleep surface supported by a main frame. A pair of opposing legs, in turn, supports the main frame. The legs articulate to change the orientation of the main frame. Articulation of the legs is accommodated by wheels attached to the legs. As the legs articulate, the wheels traverse the surface supporting the wheels.
By convention, wheels are mounted on the bed with axle plates or axle bearings. Plates are typically mounted to the main frame. Bearings may be mounted to or pressed in the main frame. The plates and bearings are adapted to support axles, which in turn support the wheels. Fasteners are often required for mounting the plates and bearings to the main frame, securing the axles to the plates or bearings, and securing the axles to the hubs of the wheels. Mounting the wheels to the main frame may be a costly and cumbersome task and normal wear sustained by the axle or wheel hub often results in undesirable travel of the wheel. This undesirable travel results in canting or play of the wheel. What is needed is a wheel mounting system that is less costly and easier to apply.
The present invention is directed towards a wheel mounting system on a bed that is simple and inexpensive to tool and easy to apply. The wheel mounting system is comprised of a bearing that is adapted to be positioned between a wheel and the foot tube of a bed. The bearing is comprised of two half split bearings that are adapted to fit together to make the complete bearing. The split bearings are adapted to be forced into the wheel and held onto the foot tube by the wheel.
The invention is also directed towards a method for mounting a wheel to the foot tube of a bed. The method is comprised of the step of positioning split bearings on the end of a foot tube of the bed with a rib on an interior surface of the split bearings in alignment with an annular groove in the end of the foot tube. The foot tube is then held in a fixture with a backup surface of the fixture abutting the flange of two split bearings. Next, a wheel is forced onto the split bearings while holding the split bearings in place axially with respect to the foot tube by the backup surface, thereby protecting the integrity of the split bearings and assuring that the rib on the interior of the split bearings is maintained in alignment with the annular groove in the end of the foot tube.